At the back door of Xihualou, the woman welcoming guests was the same young lady Jiang Li had met last time. Upon seeing Jiang Li, she was momentarily startled, but then immediately smiled and said, “Miss, have you come to see Qiongzhi again?”

Jiang Li replied, “Indeed.” She pulled out a bank note from her sleeve and handed it over.

The woman didn’t refuse and gracefully accepted the note, saying to Jiang Li, “Miss, please follow me.” She personally led Jiang Li to Qiongzhi’s room.

The women of Xihualou were all clever, knowing what should and shouldn’t be asked. Though they didn’t know what relationship Jiang Li had with Qiongzhi, nothing had gone wrong during their last meeting, and Jiang Li was generous with money. Helping out with such a simple matter was something they wouldn’t actively refuse.

Jiang Li was led to the entrance of Qiongzhi’s room.

The woman smiled and said, “Qiongzhi is already waiting for you inside. If you need anything, just call for me.” Then she withdrew.

Jiang Li pushed open the door and entered Qiongzhi’s room.

She couldn’t tell if it was her imagination, but after these several days, Qiongzhi seemed to have lost considerable weight. Still, a beauty remained a beauty—even in her haggard state, it only added a more languorous quality to her charm, a kind of beauty never seen before. Like a red flower on the verge of wilting but not yet fallen, she became even more eye-catching.

Jiang Li guessed that perhaps Qiongzhi had learned of Xue Zhao’s death, which was why she had become so thin these past days.

“You’ve come,” Qiongzhi said, sitting at the table, fiddling with a chaotic chess board. Hearing the movement, she didn’t get up but merely looked toward her.

Jiang Li closed the door behind her and said, “Yes.”

Qiongzhi stared at her fixedly for a while, then suddenly smiled and said, “People used to say Xue Zhao was bold, but now it seems there’s someone here even bolder than him. I wonder what expression Yanking City’s Chief Minister Jiang Yuanbai would have if he learned his daughter was visiting brothels in Xiangyang.”

She knew Jiang Li’s identity.

Jiang Li fell silent for a moment, then walked forward and sat down across from Qiongzhi, saying, “You know now.”

“Second Miss Jiang’s impassioned speech at Lizheng Hall has spread throughout all of Xiangyang by now—it would be difficult not to know. I just never expected that the person who came to see me would be Second Miss Jiang herself,” Qiongzhi sighed.

“I don’t know if this is good or bad,” Jiang Li said with a bitter smile. When she had used the Jiang family’s reputation to help the Ye family deal with Tong Zhiyang, she had also exposed her own identity. From now on, whatever she did, she would inevitably be recognized. Perhaps it would be better to be like Ji Heng, whose identity no one knew. Those who did know his identity wouldn’t cause themselves trouble by voluntarily revealing it.

“I have only one thing I want to ask you,” Qiongzhi said, playing with the bracelet on her wrist. The silver bracelet had small bells hanging from it that jingled delicately as she toyed with it. She asked, “Why would you know the Xue family? I’ve already learned about Second Miss Jiang’s past deeds. No matter how I look at it, you shouldn’t have any connection with the Xue family.”

Qiongzhi was a capable woman. Among her patrons were both knights-errant and court officials—she couldn’t be underestimated, which was why Jiang Li had asked Qiongzhi to inquire about Tongxiang. But Second Miss Jiang was no ordinary person either. Her affairs were known not just in Yanking but throughout other parts of Northern Yan as well. Those “glorious achievements” could be discovered with just a little investigation. From this perspective, Second Miss Jiang and the Xue family were completely unrelated types of people—like wind and horses with no connection at all. That they would become entangled together made Qiongzhi’s suspicion perfectly understandable.

Jiang Li remained silent for a long time before saying, “I know Xue Zhao’s older sister.” Before Qiongzhi could voice her question, she continued, “You needn’t doubt how I came to know Xue Fangfei. I truly do want to avenge Xue Fangfei. I cannot tell you more, but right now, you can only trust me.”

Qiongzhi was startled and looked up at Jiang Li earnestly.

“As I said, I know your feelings for Xue Zhao. But now Xue Zhao is dead, and you very much want to avenge him, yet in reality, there’s nothing you can do. But I can,” Jiang Li said, showing a faint smile. “I am Jiang Yuanbai’s daughter, the legitimate daughter of the Chief Minister. If the other party has power and influence, I have no fear. Only I can avenge Xue Zhao. You can only trust me.”

Qiongzhi pulled at the corner of her mouth, perhaps wanting to show a sarcastic smile, but in the end, she only sighed softly, half helpless and half unwilling, saying, “You already knew I could only trust you.”

Only then did Jiang Li’s heart settle, though her expression remained composed as she smiled and said, “Actually, you needn’t worry too much. In any case, telling me about Tongxiang won’t affect you in any way.”

Qiongzhi was a clever girl. Her cleverness might not be reflected in scholarly learning, but she was thoroughly versed in human nature and worldly affairs. People who made their living in the marketplace were better at reading expressions and observing words. Women like Qiongzhi, who had grown up in flower houses, had an extra measure of wariness compared to ordinary people, always on guard.

“Now, can you tell me about Tongxiang?” Jiang Li asked.

“Do you really want to know?” Qiongzhi asked.

The hand Jiang Li had tucked in her sleeve unconsciously tightened slightly, her heart feeling as if it had been pulled up by a thread, swaying and hanging in the air.

“I might as well tell you—the entire Xue family has fallen into ruin. These past days, I’ve entertained quite a few guests and finally managed to piece together some clues.” She first glanced at Jiang Li, her tone dropping. “Originally, I thought perhaps Xue Zhao’s death was an absurd lie you made up, and I held onto a thread of hope. Until I met a noblewoman who had just returned from visiting relatives in Yanking. She told me that the zhuangyuan’s wife, Xue Fangfei, had indeed wasted away and died from an affair with another man, and her younger brother Xue Zhao was killed by bandits on his way to Yanking, his body abandoned in a river—exactly as you said.”

“Those are matters from Yanking,” Jiang Li said. “What about Xue Huaiyuan in Tongxiang?”

Perhaps there was a hint of urgency in her tone that Qiongzhi caught. Qiongzhi paused before looking at Jiang Li searchingly. “This is what I don’t understand. You said Xue Huaiyuan died half a year ago and asked me to find out why he died and where he was buried. But Xue Huaiyuan hasn’t died.”

“What did you say?” Jiang Li couldn’t help but cry out in shock.

All this time, in front of Qiongzhi, this Second Miss Jiang had been composed and forthright, never once losing her composure—this was the first time Qiongzhi had seen Jiang Li look flustered.

Jiang Li couldn’t care about what Qiongzhi thought of her. In that moment, wild joy surged through her heart. She said, “You’re saying Xue Huaiyuan didn’t die?! Is what you’re saying true? Where did you hear this?!”

Initially, Qiongzhi had suspected whether Jiang Li was inquiring about the Xue family with ulterior motives, perhaps wanting to use them to accomplish some scheme. But seeing Jiang Li’s current state, the doubt in her heart instantly vanished like smoke. The excitement and delight in Second Miss Jiang’s eyes upon hearing that Xue Huaiyuan hadn’t died was certainly not feigned.

After calming down slightly, Qiongzhi said, “He hasn’t died, but this isn’t necessarily good news either. This master of the Xue family, Tongxiang County Magistrate Xue Huaiyuan, has gone mad and doesn’t recognize even his closest relatives. He’s now imprisoned in Tongxiang’s jail.”

It was like falling from heaven into a deep abyss. Jiang Li’s palms turned ice cold in an instant, that momentary wild joy immediately turned to ashes. She could hardly believe her own ears as she stared at Qiongzhi and said, “What did you say?”

Qiongzhi found Jiang Li’s gaze somewhat frightening, and rather crazed. Like a trapped beast suppressing its grief, desperately restraining its desire to tear everything around it to shreds.

Her voice unconsciously softened as she said, “Among the guests who visit me, I’ve asked all those with any influence. But for some reason, they’re all extremely reticent about Tongxiang’s Xue Huaiyuan, unwilling to discuss it with me. Some even left in a huff. Only one merchant, who has always had a good relationship with me, saw how earnestly I was asking and quietly told me.”

“I heard that Tongxiang County Magistrate Xue Huaiyuan was imprisoned half a year ago for embezzling disaster relief funds allocated by the court. Now there’s someone else serving as Tongxiang’s county magistrate. Xue Huaiyuan has gone mad and doesn’t recognize anyone in prison—it’s quite pitiful…”

“How could Xue Huaiyuan embezzle funds?” Jiang Li said angrily. “The common people of Tongxiang would never believe it!”

Qiongzhi was surprised by how naturally Jiang Li spoke of Tongxiang’s common people, and surprised that Jiang Li seemed to know Xue Huaiyuan very well, but she continued, “The common people have no choice—after all, it’s the decision from above. Besides,” Qiongzhi laughed, though it was unclear who that laugh was mocking, “people move on, you know. Since ancient times, there’s been the principle that common folk don’t fight with officials. Even if Xue Huaiyuan truly was an honest official who didn’t embezzle the disaster relief funds, who would speak up for him? Everyone just wants to protect themselves.”

Jiang Li was stunned.

Xue Huaiyuan had devoted his heart to the people, never thinking of seeking repayment, and neither Xue Zhao nor Xue Fangfei had ever considered it either. But looking at the situation now, what Qiongzhi said wasn’t wrong—people were selfish. Who would offend greater nobles for the sake of an imprisoned madman? But if Xue Huaiyuan were still conscious and saw this scene, his heart would surely turn cold with disappointment.

Most likely, Xue Huaiyuan saw how cold and callous the common people he had devoted himself to supporting had become, and with the loss of both his children, couldn’t bear the blow and went insane.

Qiongzhi suddenly paused and said, “Second Miss Jiang, you…”

Seeing her strange expression, Jiang Li unconsciously touched her face and discovered that without realizing it, tears had fallen.

In the end, she couldn’t remain a cold observer—that was her father, after all. Knowing her father was suffering in prison, how could she remain indifferent?

“So it seems that regarding the Xue family matter, no one dares to inquire about it now?” Jiang Li pulled out a handkerchief from her sleeve, wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes, and her expression became icy cold.

Qiongzhi noticed the change in her expression and hesitated before saying, “Indeed. Since everyone is so reticent about it, I’m afraid this matter involves other formidable people and isn’t as simple as it appears on the surface.”

Jiang Li sneered inwardly. Involving other people—without even thinking, she knew it was Yongning behind it all! At the time when she herself was on the verge of death, Yongning, in order to cut off her hope or perhaps to make her suffer unbearably, told her that Xue Huaiyuan had already died of illness. But thinking about it now, if all three members of the Xue family had died around the same time, it would inevitably invite criticism. Yongning naturally wouldn’t fear this, but Shen Yurun couldn’t afford to be careless. To avoid adding trouble, Yongning couldn’t kill Xue Huaiyuan, but with Yongning’s narrow-minded nature, she certainly couldn’t tolerate Xue Huaiyuan either. So she simply used this baseless charge to imprison Xue Huaiyuan and subject him to endless torment!

Yongning knew Xue Huaiyuan cared deeply about the common people, so she had him abandoned by the very people he cherished, letting an indelible stain mar his upright and honest reputation. This was more painful than killing Xue Huaiyuan. Once Xue Huaiyuan learned of Xue Fangfei and Xue Zhao’s deaths, he would naturally sink into complete despair, wishing for death. To use such vile methods on a father—Yongning truly was capable of such things!

“What I could find out is only this much,” Qiongzhi said. “After all, I can’t leave Xihualou at will, and this matter involves very powerful people… You’re right—perhaps the only one who can avenge Xue Zhao is you.” Hope floated in Qiongzhi’s gaze toward Jiang Li. Jiang Li was a young lady of the Jiang family. In the Ye family matter, she had even dared to directly confront Tong Zhiyang, showing she had confidence. At the very least, she dared to do what ordinary common people didn’t dare to do.

Jiang Li smiled faintly, though that smile in this moment appeared bone-chillingly cold. She said slowly, “I will naturally avenge Xue Zhao. Not only will I avenge Xue Zhao, but whoever framed the Xue family from behind, I will make them repay a hundredfold.”

Such words coming from the mouth of a gentle, delicate official’s daughter should have been laughable. Yet Qiongzhi didn’t know why, but she shivered. She only felt that the young miss before her, with her clear and distinct eyes, seemed to contain a deep whirlpool with no visible bottom, impossible to see the storm stirring within.

“Thank you,” Jiang Li said, looking at Qiongzhi. “Thank you for inquiring about the Xue family news for me. But as you said, since this matter involves so many people, if someone discovers you’ve been inquiring like this…”

Qiongzhi said, “Don’t worry. The people I asked are all trustworthy. Moreover, they’re all people who won’t actively cause themselves trouble.” She apparently hadn’t expected Jiang Li to still be concerned about her at this time. Her expression toward Jiang Li softened somewhat, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Second Miss Jiang, since you’re determined to handle the Tongxiang matter… what will you do next?”

“There’s no way to uncover the truth while in Xiangyang,” Jiang Li said coldly. “I need to make a trip to Tongxiang.”

Qiongzhi’s mouth opened slightly.

“No matter how powerful the people behind this are,” Jiang Li lowered her eyes, “even if I have to stake this life of mine, I will drag them down to be buried together with me.”

Her words were chilling. Qiongzhi felt that the girl who had initially been as warm as spring now seemed like a vengeful ghost crawling up from the Yellow Springs of the underworld, carrying debts of blood and seeking revenge with piercing cries.

Qiongzhi was so overwhelmed by her momentary aura of malevolence that she didn’t dare speak again.

…

When she emerged from Xihualou, both Tong’er and Bai Xue could tell something was wrong with Jiang Li.

She usually liked to smile. Even when meeting strangers, she would wear a smile three parts warm. She looked like a spring breeze brushing across one’s face, making people feel exceptionally comfortable. Today was the same initially. However, after staying in Xihualou for just a brief moment, when she came back out, she seemed like a different person.

There wasn’t a trace of a smile on her face. She seemed troubled by weighty concerns, her lips pressed tightly together, her brow deeply furrowed, her gaze rather scattered.

Tong’er was startled, thinking she had been bullied inside, and quickly said, “Miss… Miss, what’s wrong with you?”

This call seemed to finally bring Jiang Li’s spirit back. Jiang Li looked at her, seeming dazed for a while before slowly saying, “It’s nothing. Let’s return to the manor.” She took the woven bamboo hat from Bai Xue’s hands, put it back on, and walked forward on her own.

Bai Xue and Tong’er were extremely worried, but since they were outside, they couldn’t ask too many questions. They could only follow Jiang Li and hurry back toward the Ye manor. Although they didn’t know what Jiang Li had encountered in Xihualou, it was obvious that Jiang Li had suffered a tremendous blow and was distracted.

In the residence next to the Ye manor, Lu Ji sat on a long rattan chair in the room. On the couch diagonally opposite, Ji Heng was casually holding a book, flipping through it carelessly.

Wen Ji entered from outside and said, “My lord.”

Ji Heng said, “Speak.”

“Just now, Second Miss Jiang went to Xihualou again,” Wen Ji said.

Lu Ji looked toward Wen Ji, but Ji Heng’s gaze didn’t shift from the book’s pages at all. He asked casually, “She went to see that Miss Qiongzhi again?”

“Precisely,” Wen Ji hesitated before saying. “There’s something very strange. This subordinate discovered that after Second Miss Jiang met with Qiongzhi and came out of Xihualou, something unknown happened, and she seemed rather lost and distracted.”

Ji Heng’s book-reading movement paused. A flash of surprise also crossed Lu Ji’s face.

“Lost and distracted?” Ji Heng asked.

“That’s right. After coming out of Xihualou, Second Miss Jiang took her two maids back to the Ye family home. Along the way, she took many wrong turns, clearly her mind was elsewhere. Later, seeing that both maids were very anxious, it should be because Second Miss Jiang’s expression was unusual,” Wen Ji answered in detail.

Lu Ji couldn’t help but ask, “What exactly did she and Qiongzhi say? Is there no way to find out?”

“There’s no way,” Wen Ji said helplessly. “This Miss Qiongzhi is extremely guarded and very clever. The people sent to gather information can’t pry open her mouth. Since my lord won’t let us use force, we still don’t know what Second Miss Jiang and Miss Qiongzhi discussed.”

Wen Ji truly had no solution. While Second Miss Jiang appeared innocent and naive, she was always very thorough in her actions. Of all the people she could consult with, why did it have to be Qiongzhi, the most difficult person to deal with in Xihualou? Qiongzhi had grown up in pleasure quarters since childhood and didn’t seek anyone to redeem her—she had virtually no weaknesses. As the saying goes, having no desires makes one strong. Qiongzhi had no desires, so there was nothing that could move her. With the premise that Ji Heng wouldn’t permit using forceful methods on Qiongzhi, they completely couldn’t find a way to pry open Qiongzhi’s mouth.

Second Miss Jiang had clearly deliberately chosen such an immovable stone.

“No need to know what they said,” Ji Heng said. “Just watch what she does.”

“My lord, do you know what Second Miss Jiang intends to do?” Lu Ji asked.

Lu Ji was also an exceptionally clever person, very skilled at court machinations and quite adept at human relations and worldly wisdom. But regarding this Second Miss Jiang, Lu Ji sometimes found her very difficult to understand. This was because Jiang Li seemed to act without method. For instance, her sudden friendliness toward the Ye family and her assistance to them all seemed to be done on a whim, appearing to have no ulterior motive. Yet everything she did would, after a long time, reveal the original reason for doing it.

But at the beginning, no one could tell what she actually wanted to do.

Lu Ji could sense that Jiang Li’s meetings with Qiongzhi must be doing something very important to her. Moreover, this matter could make the usually composed Jiang Li “lost and distracted,” so it certainly wasn’t a small matter. But the problem was that they didn’t know what Jiang Li wanted to do, and even if they knew, they might not be able to glimpse Jiang Li’s purpose in doing so. She was truly strange. Her entire past was simple and straightforward—with just a little investigation, it became transparent. But even after investigating all her deeds, one would still feel that her entire being was shrouded in mystery.

Lu Ji couldn’t help but glance at Ji Heng. Regarding unsolvable mysteries, Second Miss Jiang and the Duke of Su, Ji Heng, were quite similar.

“I don’t know,” Ji Heng said. “But we’ll know soon enough.”

“I think Jiang Li’s true purpose for returning to Xiangyang is about to appear. In fact, I’m also very curious,” Ji Heng said with a smile, “about what exactly she wants to do.”

…

Jiang Li didn’t know that everything about her had long been observed by others. But even if she had known, she wouldn’t have the mind to deal with Ji Heng right now. Her head was completely filled with thoughts of Xue Huaiyuan going mad and being imprisoned. She didn’t know whether she should feel joy or sorrow at this moment.

The joy was that at least there was still a life remaining—she and her father wouldn’t be forever separated between heaven and earth. The sorrow was that the mad Xue Huaiyuan might never again recognize his own daughter. Even if they were reunited, they might never be able to acknowledge each other for the rest of their lives.

This was just like heaven—seemingly leaving a thread of hope, but after that hope came only deeper despair.

Jiang Li sat blankly at the table.

Tong’er and Bai Xue asked several times, but Jiang Li didn’t tell them what had happened. In the end, whether from annoyance or something else, she simply had Tong’er and Bai Xue leave, remaining alone in the room. The two maids, afraid she might do something foolish, simply sat by the door, pressing their ears against it to carefully listen for any movement inside. They planned that if anything seemed wrong, they would break down the door—they absolutely couldn’t let anything happen to Jiang Li.

Jiang Li silently buried her face in her arms.

Just thinking about what Yongning and Shen Yurun had done to Xue Huaiyuan made Jiang Li want to tear them all to shreds. She didn’t believe that Shen Yurun knew nothing about Xue Huaiyuan’s troubles! Even if Xue Zhao’s incident was something Yongning acted on alone and Xue Zhao was already dead, leaving Shen Yurun with no recourse, now Xue Huaiyuan wasn’t dead, yet Shen Yurun just watched as Xue Huaiyuan was tormented!

When Shen Yurun came to Tongxiang back then, Xue Huaiyuan had even mentored him. A teacher for a day is a father for life—she didn’t expect Shen Yurun to treat Xue Huaiyuan as his own father, but with their teacher-student bond, he should at least have some conscience.

These were simply two inhuman beasts!

What was even more infuriating was that even if Jiang Li could meet Yongning and Shen Yurun now, she had no way to immediately avenge the Xue family. Never mind that the guards around them would prevent Jiang Li from getting close—just trading a life for a life would be letting them off too easily. If the Xue family’s injustice wasn’t cleared and their ugly faces weren’t exposed before the world, it wouldn’t be over!

Jiang Li was filled with extreme hatred, yet she understood that the more important matter right now wasn’t revenge, but rescuing Xue Huaiyuan from prison. If the information Qiongzhi had gathered was true, Xue Huaiyuan’s situation in prison now probably wasn’t just about poor food and clothing. Yongning wouldn’t let Xue Huaiyuan off easily—she would definitely secretly arrange for people to make him suffer. Xue Huaiyuan was old now. If he couldn’t endure… Jiang Li didn’t dare think further.

She suddenly stood up. There was no time to lose—she had to return to Tongxiang as quickly as possible!

Just as she was thinking this, Tong’er and Bai Xue’s voices came from outside the door. Bai Xue said, “Third Master, you’ve come. Our miss is inside…”

Ye Mingyu? Jiang Li got up and opened the door. Before Bai Xue could finish speaking, Jiang Li came out first. Looking at Jiang Li’s complexion again, she seemed somewhat better than before, and her heart relaxed.

Jiang Li said, “Uncle Mingyu.”

“I came specifically to find you,” Ye Mingyu said, not noticing the unusual expressions on the two maids’ faces today. He walked into the room first and sat down at the small table, laughing heartily. “A-Li, you don’t know—Big Brother and Second Brother went to the weaving workshop, and the people there looked at our peacock feathers and think it’s worth trying. I think the method you suggested will probably work. If it really succeeds, besides the ancient fragrance satin, our Ye family might have another new type of fabric. You’re the great contributor!”

Jiang Li forced a smile. If she had received this news before meeting with Qiongzhi, she would certainly have been happy for the Ye family. However, right now her mind was completely filled with Tongxiang and Xue Huaiyuan’s whereabouts. No matter what, she had no heart to spare for the Ye family’s weaving matters.

“Then congratulations, Uncle Mingyu,” Jiang Li said. “If it really succeeds, the greatest contributor should actually be Uncle Mingyu. If Uncle Mingyu hadn’t found those peacock feathers, I wouldn’t have been able to think of this method either.”

Hearing this, Ye Mingyu laughed heartily and said, “This is exactly what I like about A-Li—you don’t claim credit! Don’t worry, when Big Brother and Second Brother were at the weaving workshop earlier, they already praised me. They also said that if this succeeds, they’ll give me a merchant caravan with martial arts skills in the future. I can travel around throughout the year and bring back any rare and exotic items I find. I’m thinking maybe I should have that boy Rufeng come with me. He has a head for business, and going together might bring even greater rewards. Besides, young men should travel more to broaden their horizons. Staying cooped up in Xiangyang City all the time won’t lead to any great achievements.”

Jiang Li smiled along, saying absentmindedly, “That sounds very good too.”

“A-Li, you’re from Yanking City, and I heard you recently placed first in the school examination again, so you must be a very learned person. I was thinking, if the fabric made from peacock feathers is produced, what name should we give it? Something like the ancient fragrance satin—where you can tell from the name what it’s about—but not vulgar. Do you have any good suggestions?”

Ye Mingyu usually didn’t concern himself with the Ye family business at all. Perhaps because the peacock feathers he discovered this time were quite a contribution, he felt rather proud and was now even managing these small details. He humbly sought Jiang Li’s opinion.

Ordinarily, Jiang Li would be very happy to discuss such trivial matters with Ye Mingyu to strengthen her relationship with the Ye family. But after meeting with Qiongzhi, Jiang Li knew that every moment of time that passed was a lost opportunity. The longer time went on, the worse it would be for Xue Huaiyuan.

She wasn’t a daughter who could watch her biological father suffer in prison without doing anything.

“Uncle Mingyu, I have a favor to ask of you,” Jiang Li interrupted Ye Mingyu’s chatter.

Ye Mingyu was startled. Seeing his niece’s face become unusually serious, he unconsciously straightened his posture and asked, “What is it?”

Jiang Li took a deep breath. “I want to make a trip to Tongxiang.”